Opening hours for the Basilique de Saint-Denis

Two seasons, two closing times

The monument operates on two schedules. From April to September, it closes at 5:45 p.m.; from October to March, at 4:45 p.m. Opening time, however, does not change: 10 a.m. from Monday to Saturday, 12 p.m. on Sunday.
The quiet Sunday morning slot does not exist here, contrary to what many assume: the necropolis only opens at noon on that day.

In winter, closing at 4:45 p.m. means arriving at 4 p.m. is not very useful: the full tour takes an hour, and the crypt is the first thing you will be asked to leave. Plan to enter at least 1 hour 15 minutes before closing, earlier if you aim for the guided tour. The calculation is on the visit duration page.

Services, the real challenge

This is partly what this website exists to explain. Saint-Denis is the cathedral of the diocese, and when a service takes place, the monument closes: the necropolis is not visitable during that time. Sunday mornings and holidays are therefore the riskiest slots of the year. I have seen, on a November Sunday, a couple from Italy go back down into the metro without seeing anything, because they had planned their morning based on the online opening hours without knowing that on Sundays opening is at noon and that the service takes priority.
Check on the same day, and allow some leeway. The free-access area, however, remains open: see what is free.

Three annual closure days

1 January, 1 May, 25 December. Nothing else. The monument is therefore open every other day of the year, including Mondays, which is rare and makes Saint-Denis a great option for a Parisian Monday when many museums are closed.

Mondays and La Fabrique de la Flèche

Mind the distinction, as it works both ways. The royal necropolis is accessible on Mondays. La Fabrique de la Flèche, however, is closed on that day. If the restoration site interests you — and it interests many people who come to see the progress on reassembling the north tower, dismantled between 1846 and 1847 —, visit from Tuesday to Sunday. Details are on the restoration site page and the history of the tower on why only one tower.

Included guided tour times

From Monday to Saturday at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., on Sundays at 12 :30 p.m. and 3 p.m., approximately 1 hour 30 minutes. These are the times I know, but they should be confirmed at the reception on the day itself: they shift according to services and groups. This is the best way to use your ticket, and I discuss it on the guided tours page.

Before leaving

Three checks: the season, to know the closing time; the day, for La Fabrique de la Flèche; and services, if you are coming on a Sunday or a public holiday. The journey from Paris is on the access page, and the question of booking is on should you book.

Choose your date

Reminder: what you’re booking above is entry to the royal necropolis. The nave, however, remains open without a ticket, as in any church in the diocese.

Frequently asked questions